1Biomedical Engineering,
University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States; 2Medical
Physics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States; 3Radiology,
University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States

The development of NCE-MRA methods to visualize the
renal transplant vessels remains of tremendous clinical importance.In this retrospective study, we investigated
the MR angiographic performance of a 3D radial sequence (VIPR-SSFP) compared
to an inflow-weighted technique (IFIR) known to provide excellent
visualization of the renal arteries. After identifying 21 renal transplant
patients who received VIPR-SSFP and IFIR scans, two practicing radiologists
scored these patients images on several criteria reflecting angiographic
quality.Results demonstrate that
VIPR-SSFP provides superior visualization of the renal veins and improved fat
suppression, while IFIR provides somewhat superior visualization of the renal
arteries.